Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
The Department of Public Service, Keep Columbus Beautiful (KCB) program is eligible to apply for a Building Healthy Communities grant sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation. The grant is requesting funding to support a new litter abatement and beautification effort targeted at helping neighborhoods remove accumulated trash and debris from the historic Parsons Avenue corridor which serves as the gateway into the City of Columbus Southside neighborhoods. The cleanup and beautification is meant to focus on grassroots issues such as removing litter and graffiti while improving streetscape with flowers and shrubs to compliment a forthcoming revitalization of this area. The effort will bring together volunteers from both east and west neighborhoods surrounding the corridor to target blight and improve the area's image.
The Ohio Revised Code (ORC), Chapter 1502, authorizes The Home Depot Foundation to award grants for the purpose of supporting community improvement activities Grant awards may range up to $2,500.00 in gift cards from The Home Depot. No cash match is required.
Those eligible to apply include non-profit 501c3, and tax exempt public agencies.
Keep Columbus Beautiful is requesting funding from The Home Depot Foundation to develop and support a Plant Pride on Parsons, a Parsons Avenue spring cleanup and beautification beginning at Livingston Avenue to State Route 104 targeted at removing litter and graffiti along the business corridor and employing a new floral greenscape down the corridor. Neighborhoods such as Schumacher Place, Merion Village, Ganthers Place, Swain's Corner, Southside Can, Vassar Village, Hungarian Village, Reeb Hosack, and more would be the focus of volunteer recruitment to help remove grassroots blight such as litter and graffiti from the area. Grant funds in gift cards would be used to support the cleanup and beautification by purchasing trash bags, cotton gloves, paint and flowers/shrubs etc.
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Service to formally apply for the grant and accept it [if awarded,]; it also authorizes the appropriation of these funds within the General Government Grant Fund and its expenditure from that fund.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
None. No city match is required for this grant. No cash match is expected, but local financial or in-kind contributions will help to demonstrate a sense of commitment, and offset the overall cost of the project. KCB resources that will be dedicated to managing/implementing this grant are included in the program's 2009 operating budget within the Street Construction, Maintenance and Repair Fund.
ORC Section 1502.02 and the grant agreement require all grantees, to create and maintain a separate account for grant funds received, and cash donations (ORC Section 5733.064) received for their grant program. The separate account must remain open throughout the effective dates of the grant agreement and during whatever additional time is necessary to close out all charges and payments related to the grant.
The grantee must use an accounting system that complies with generally accepted accounting principles. Local government accounting systems that comply with standards and procedures published by Ohio's state auditor will meet the department's accounting standards. The accounting system must provide a timely and accurate record of transactions and must produce reports that correspond with the total funds expended and the unexpended balance. In order to sub-grant funds for eligible purposes, as identified in the approved budget, grantees are required to enter into a contract with any approved contractor. Total expenditures cannot exceed the amounts budgeted.
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to meet the application deadline apply for this funding(December 15, 2009).
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to apply to The Home Depot Foundation Building healthy Communities grant to help facilitate Plant Pride on Parsons a beautification effort along the Parsons Avenue corridor leading into Columbus' Southside neighborhoods with highly visible destination areas and accept said grant if awarded; to authorize the appropriation of up to $2,500.00 of gift cards within the General Government Grant Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $2,500.00 in Home Depot gift cards or so much thereof as may be needed for this purpose from the General Government Grant Fund and to declare an emergency. ($2,500.00 in gift cards)
Body
WHEREAS, The Home Depot Foundation is sponsoring the Building Healthy Communities Community Improvement Grant; and
WHEREAS, this grant is designed to facilitate a beautification initiative in Spring of 2010 and collaborative efforts with the City of Columbus, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Parsons Avenue Merchants Association, area commissions and neighborhood leaders to recruit area volunteers to remove blighted conditions from Parsons Avenue beginning at Livingston Avenue to State Route 104; and
WHEREAS, Keep Columbus Beautiful must complete and submit an online application to The Home Depot website by December 15th 2009 detailing the project; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Service Director to apply for the grant and accept it if awarded as soon as possible to meet the application deadline and to allow the planning for an effective litter abatement project and miscellaneous sustainable efforts in Spring of 2010; thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of Public Service be and hereby is authorized to apply to The Home Depot Foundation Building Healthy Communities Grant designed to facilitate a new litter abatement initiative in Spring of 2010.
Section 2. That from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010, the sum of up to $2,500.00 in gift cards be and hereby is appropriated to the Department of Public Service, No. 59-02, O.L. 01-03 Codes 02-2200, OCA Code and Grant number to be assigned by the City Auditor.
Section 3. That the monies appropriated in Section 2 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Service and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
Section 4. That the Director of Public Service be and hereby is authorized to expend $2,500.00 or so much thereof as may be needed to pay appropriate "2010 Plant Pride on Parsons Cleanup and Beautification" program expenses from the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, Department of Public Service, 59-02, O.L. 01-03 Codes 02-2200, OCA Code and Grant number to be assigned by the City Auditor.
Section 5. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.